RSM-UPEI Denounces the UPEI Student Union Council!

The November 2nd Day of Action against tuition increases was initiated by the Canadian Federation of Students, and while the Revolutionary Student Movement has a different political line and practice with regard to tuition issues, we resolutely support efforts to resist tuition increases. RSM-UPEI would like to delineate our position on the Day of Action from the positions of other groups, to ensure that the general student body of UPEI understands the varying political lines on the matter and acts in an informed way. The first group we will delineate ourselves from is the Student Union Council.

The UPEI Student Union Council is not supporting the Day of Action at all, because they believe that creating a “needs-based grants system” is sufficient to “increase accessibility”. This is an example of how well-intentioned social justice rhetoric (“accessibility”) is easily coopted by opportunist, reformist organizations so they can sound like their interests are the same as the masses’. We do not want tuition to be abolished simply so that people can “access” education; we recognize that capitalist institutions cannot and will not act in the interest of the masses, and we seek to dismantle bourgeois education that only prepares us to sell our labour so it can be replaced by revolutionary proletarian education that prepares us to transform society. The SU Council intends to accomplish their minimal and reformist goal solely through lobbying. The UPEI Student Union used to be part of CFS–in fact, they were among some of the founding members. In 2008 the CFS launched a lawsuit against the UPEI Student Union, and this lawsuit was never brought to court. Since then, our SU has been part of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) instead of the CFS. RSM-UPEI suspects that the SU Council’s negative history with the CFS is likely fueling this ultra-reformist political line.

While RSM criticizes the CFS for taking the approach of lobbying and making minimal demands, like reduced tuition instead of tuition abolition, we also commend them for launching the Day of Action and we intend to push even harder for even bigger demands. We know that one day of mobilizations and lobbying will not stop tuition increases; a strike is the only thing that can accomplish that, and freezing or reducing tuition is insufficient to begin with. Tuition must be abolished. RSM-UPEI also recognizes that a strike cannot be accomplished unless we seize democratic control over our Student Union by replacing the SU Council’s decision-making power with General Assemblies of all students. Nevertheless we will organize to march, demonstrate, and show the university administration and the state that we will not tolerate tuition increases! The SU Council has taken a nearly polar opposite position–they are avoiding the Day of Action and doing even less to achieve nearly nothing. It seems that the only way they could go further to the right on this issue is by demanding that tuition fees be increased!

The UPEI chapter of the Revolutionary Student Movement denounces the UPEI Student Union Council for their reformist, opportunist, do-nothing approach on the issue of tuition! The SU Council has, time and time again, shown us that they are nothing but a clique of liberals who look out for their own interests instead of fighting for the interests of the masses!

Down with Student Union bureaucracy!Fight for revolutionary student democracy!Abolish tuition and student debt!ALL OUT NOVEMBER 2ND!#AllOutNov2#AllOutStrike